Bulls point guard Derrick Rose continues to make progress in his recovery from a strained right groin and is a game-time decision for Thursday night's game against the Celtics.
"I'm feeling better, able to move a little bit more," said Rose, who displayed his familiar competitive spirit while launching jumpers at the end of Thursday morning's shootaround at the Berto Center. "If I feel it when I'm out there, I'm definitely going to play, but if not, be smart."
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau concurred: "We'll see how he warms up tonight. He's making good progress. It's still a game-time decision."
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Rose admitted to feeling some "discomfort" after recent practices and acknowledged that he still isn't able to run at "top speed," but chalked that up to his increased activity level.
"That comes with just coming back. Getting my conditioning, running a little bit more and just getting back active," he explained. "Every day when it's improving, the less I think about it.
"Did the whole shootaround, so I'm fine."
Rose said he "should be" in the Bulls lineup from whenever he returns-which, if it doesn't occur Thursday, could be as soon as Sunday's afternoon matinee at New York, the first in a home-and-home series with the Knicks-through the postseason.
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"If not now, for sure next game," he said. "Taking all this rest, all the other injuries that I have-my body was nicked off early in the year-they're gone. Only thing that I'm worried about is my groin."
"I'm not going to hold back at all. You know the way that I play. I'm not holding back. My game is to be aggressive and try to get people going."
In other news Bulls news, the team announced Thursday that they signed veteran point guard Mike James for the remainder of the season, increasing their depth at the position with Rose still on the mend and fill-in starter C.J. Watson banged up.
"It says a lot about him," Thibodeau said of James, who is in his fourth stint with the Bulls this season. "Great veteran, stays ready, so we're glad to have him back."